Posts Tagged ‘reincarnation’

Recently I wrote about animals being sentient beings. In my experience they most certainly are, so I see nothing wrong with anthropomorphizing. However, I have never applied that principle to eating meat.

Growing up on a farm it was accepted that certain animals would be eaten. It was simply the cycle of life, and their purpose for being. The animals had a good life and when it was their time, it ended. After reading the aforementioned post I started to think about anthropomorphizing in regards to livestock.

Do the animals know that we eat them? If they do, how do they feel about it? I already had some opinions on the subject but decided to take my questions to the animals. Here is what they had to say:

Of course we know that certain of our species are intended for human consumption. If we choose to incarnate as one of those species, we do it with the full knowledge that we are most likely going to have a brief life experience. Sometimes that is exactly what we are looking for. Do you not think it possible that being eaten by humans might be considered an honor among some animals? Each individual comes to the planet with a purpose. If that purpose is to be eaten, then we will live our life to its fullest and gladly be sacrificed when the times comes. Unlike humans, animals know that there will be countless opportunities for lives, so we do not become overly attached to any one life experience. Some we enjoy more than others, but they are all merely a part of the journey.

Just as some species are food for others in the animal kingdom, certain are intended for humans. It is all as it should be. You may choose not to eat of animal flesh but it doesn’t matter to our experience. If one human doesn’t choose to eat, another will, and so the cycle continues. Some animals consider it a privilege to be sustenance for humans. Would you deny us that joy and purpose?

With that question answered some others came up so the conversation continued.

Do egg layers mind that we take their eggs? What about milk producers?

Egg layers know that each egg is vulnerable to predators. We also know that odds are if we keep laying sooner or later some are bound to make it to a mature hatchling. Some of us use creative means to hide our eggs, others simply never give up, but we do not hold grudges against those who pilfer. We know this is the order of things and accept it as a fact of life. We egg layers are optimistic for we realize that our very existence means an egg was hatched, therefore others will as well. We are dedicated to the task and will continue as long as we are able. We do experience a feeling of release when our laying days are over. At that point we have fulfilled our obligation and can simply go about enjoying our remaining days.

Milk producers are aware that humans consume our milk. We are actually quite proud that we can share this resource with our human caretakers. We realize that our lives are easier than our counterparts in the wild who do not know where their next meal is coming from. There is sadness at having our young taken before they would naturally be weaned, but over the generations we have come to accept this as well. It is just the way of things for our kind. We know that our milk provides nourishment for the two-leggeds and we are proud of our contribution.

With my questions answered I was left to reflect upon other aspects of this topic:

If we did not consume animals many of them would not exist as they are bred specifically to feed us. In fact, some species might become extinct if they were not on our menu. What would be the purpose in keeping domesticated livestock around otherwise? Because the animals understand reincarnation, brief lives are perfectly acceptable to them.

Finally, I am quite sure that other carnivores do not concern themselves with such thoughts. After all as The Lion King teaches “It’s the circle of life.”

Nyla had a great life and lived each day to the fullest. She was adored by her family and never taken for granted. She made it her mission to rid the farm of ground hogs and excelled at the task. Much to her chagrin, she had even begun having short “rides” on the horses. Her guardian delighted in seeing Nyla sitting on the back of the gentle giants.

Sadly, Nyla was recently killed in a trailer accident when she decided to go visit her friend, Noella. Her family was devastated and asked me to communicate with her. They needed answers and some closure and I was privileged to be able to act as their conduit.

When I contacted Nyla, she was spending time with two dogs (Princess and Mystery) who had previously lived with her family. They had been there to meet her when she transitioned. Nyla communicated with me both in words and pictures. What Nyla shared with me is below in bold blue. Her guardian’s comments are interspersed in italic green.

She’s hanging out with Princess and Mystery. They are swapping stories about the horses. Mystery particularly wants to hear about the ground hogs. Sitting under a shade tree just relaxing and visiting.

It’s just like Mystery to enjoy hearing about ground hog hunting. She always stood by and cheered Princess while she hunted.It’s fascinating to know Princess and Mystery teamed up on the other side – just like they did in their life with us – to help Nyla.

Nyla says she’s sorry. She just wanted to see Noella so badly and wasn’t as careful as she should have been. She didn’t feel pain. There was just a thud then dark and floaty. Next thing she remembers is being in this new place. Princess and Mystery were there when she woke up and explained what happened. That helped because she was confused. She’s not sorry she crossed over, she rather likes it there. But she is sorry that she broke your heart. She treasured your time together and would not have deliberately hurt you like this.

Nyla’s choice of words, “break your heart”, is significant. I have not said those words to anyone, but Nyla. When Princess and Mystery passed, my heart was broken, but not by them. However, this time, it feels as though Nyla directly broke my heart with her abandoned recklessness.

I appreciate and accept Nyla’s apology. My pain is soothed knowing she, too, treasured the life we shared.

She loved sitting in your lap. It made her feel so special. She wonders if you understood how important that was to her?

Nyla was so undemanding, so perfectly independent – I never refused her need for cuddles. She was irresistible. I’m so glad it meant something special to her. It seemed as though she was here to make everyone she met feel loved and needed.

She says please don’t be sad. She would like you to remember how happy you were and hold onto that. Don’t let the sadness block out the good memories. It’s ok with her if you get another dog but pick a good one so you will be happy together for a very long time.

Our hourly joys were so intense, they easily out shine the pain of my loss. As for my next dog(s), I am already scanning the possibilities.

She says she’ll come back to you if you want. She would enjoy another lifetime riding on the quad and sitting in your lap. It was a good life and she appreciates that you gave her a chance at such a good life.

Nyla will always be welcome in my life. She knows my breed, age, gender, size and price specifications. I wouldn’t want to bore her by asking her to return with the same temperament and personality. Instead, I challenge her to find a way to improve on her already perfectly perfect self.

As soon as she is ready, I want her back in my life.

Her thoughts are still a bit jumbled from the shock so there wasn’t much else but she will fully come back to herself in time and be capable of more fruitful conversation. She’s sorry to be so slow but that’s just the way it is right now.

I will continue to talk to her and enjoy her presence, no matter where she is.

I had no idea when I previously blogged about reincarnation that it would become one of my most popular posts. Overwhelmingly you want to know if reincarnation is real and if your pet will return to you. I can tell you that the animals have told me it is real. After their transition they choose if, when, and in what form they will return. Some come back nearly immediately, others need a recuperation period.

Rather than take my word for it, however, look to science if you will. Science has proven that living beings are at their core energy. Since energy never dies, it has to go somewhere when the physical body is used up. That leaves us to speculate on what happens to it when released from the physical, or believe the animals when they say they absolutely do reincarnate.

Let me relate to you a story of a lovely young dog I spoke with who had recently transitioned. His owner was quite distraught as he was young and it was a sudden death. She was desperate to know if he would reincarnate and return to her. In our communication he revealed that he had been with her before in the form of another dog. He was sad to leave her and wanted to return, which he had as her new puppy.

However, he also had a desire to try an experience as a german shepherd rather than the small breed dog that she preferred. He put his desires on hold to return to her once more, but he chose a short life as a compromise. He will likely return to her in another form one day but in the meantime, he may revisit other people he has loved or meet entirely new ones.

I was so struck by this conversation, having gone through something similar myself. When my old dog, Joshua, was getting ready to transition, I asked him if he would return. He promised to do so. As I grieved his loss, I asked him again after he crossed over to please return and he again promised. I believe that he did return to me in the form of my new dog, Saphyre.

But after talking with that young dog, I began to wonder if it was selfish of me to ask Joshua to return to me. What if he had other people he wanted to visit, or new adventures to experience, or what if he didn’t want to come back as a standard poodle, the breed I had decided upon? Of course he has free choice and could have made other plans, but being the amazing, kind, spirit that he was, he honored my request.

I am so grateful for these beings who freely share their love and wisdom with me and in the future will strive not to put my needs before theirs. Perhaps the best course of action is to let them know we would welcome their return, but only if and when they choose to do so.

What do you think? I invite you to share your thoughts in the comments section or contact me directly: petchatter.

Sooner or later if you have pets you will have to face “the decision” of euthanasia. It’s a gut-wrenching decision, but when the time comes, you owe it to your beloved pet to end their suffering.

The tricky thing is knowing “when.” We torture ourselves with all manner of questions and thoughts: “Is my pet really ready?” How can I be sure it’s time?” “Will my pet hate me?” “It feels like a betrayal.” “I can’t bear to let her go, but I also can’t bear to see her suffer.”

First, it helps to understand that animals view death very differently from humans. They understand that it is just the next step in their journey. They know that they may choose to reincarnate and experience many more lifetimes. They may also choose to return to a particular guardian.

Second, if you are in tune with your pet, you will probably know when it’s time. There will be a look in their eyes, a pleading or a peaceful acceptance. Sometimes a pet will hang on for the sake of a guardian who just can’t come to terms with the inevitable. When you can’t be sure of the signs, or if you think your pet is sacrificing a quality life to linger for your sake, you may opt to consult an animal communicator. A communicator will connect with your pet and find out what they are thinking and feeling.

Third, making “the decision” when the time comes is a sacred duty that we owe to our beloved companions. It is the final loving gift, one your pet will not soon forget. If you want them to reincarnate and return to you, let them know. Your gift will be remembered and they will be more likely to choose to spend another lifetime with you. After the transition, you may wish to check in on your pet with the assistance of an animal communicator. This is an opportunity to get any remaining questions answered and it can be very therapeutic.

Not long ago I communicated with a lovely dog (I’ll call her Helga), who had very recently been euthanized. Her guardian was distressed and second guessing her decision. She was very concerned about how Helga was doing and whether she understood or was angry. When I communicated with Helga she had some surprising things to share:

“I was really confused at first. It happened pretty fast then all of a sudden there was no pain and I was here in this beautiful place. It’s warm, lots of sunshine. Lots of other four leggeds to meet and greet. I’m planning on catching up with all my old friends and family. There are so many it’s going to take me a while to find and catch up with all of them. Good thing I have a keen sense of smell so I can more easily track them down. I thought they were all supposed to be lined up waiting for me. But they seem to be waiting for me to come to them. I guess they’re giving me time to adjust because it was such an abrupt transition.”

“Do you know that I can have a job if I want or just lie around? I get to choose. I sure do miss my family though. It’s good there are lots of distractions so that I don’t spend too much time missing them. I know I’m supposed to move on but I can feel their sadness and it pulls at me. Please let them know I would have stayed longer if it was possible. I had a good life and they should be very proud of the life they gave me. You know there are a lot of animals here who can’t say the same. I am one of the really lucky ones.”

“Please let my family know that I will keep an eye on them. I will never forget what they did for me. It will be my privilege to watch over them until they join me here. I’ll make sure to have a spectacular gathering of friends when they arrive and we’ll have a huge reunion. Kisses!”

When I relayed this message to the guardian, she explained that Helga had taken an unexpected turn for the worse and “the decision” had to be made immediately. There was no time to prepare Helga or themselves. It was just a quick trip to the vet and she was gone.

The comforting part of this message was that in spite of less than ideal circumstances, Helga was thriving, happy, and sending not just love to her family but kisses. She was very grateful to be out of that old body and on to her next adventure. If the guardian asked, I have little doubt she would choose to reincarnate very quickly and return to her.

Not everyone can allow themself to believe that our pets reincarnate let alone return to us. That’s ok, the animals understand. They do not judge and have the capacity to accept whatever comes their way. We all must walk our own path so be at peace and trust that everything will work out as it should. Life is oh so much richer when we have our faithful animal companions to share it with.

This question comes up from time to time when talking with pet owners. I believe, from what they animals have told me, that they do experience many lifetimes. (That doesn’t just apply to cats!) They also, sometimes, come back to us. Not always, as they have their own paths to explore which will not always include us, but sometimes. Recently a reader posed the question “When will I see my beloved cat again, and how will I know?” Here is what the animals say about reincarnation:

If it is your desire to experience that particular cat’s energy again, and the cat is in agreement, then it will return to you. With both of you desiring this outcome, events will occur to bring you together. Be open and flexible and the opportunity for your paths to cross will come.

When you meet your beloved cat in a new incarnation you will have an energetic draw. You may notice something in the eyes. There may be similar mannerisms. Each time is different. Just be at peace knowing that it is possible and likely you will see your cat again.